Sam Noakes has been handed a recognizable name for his next fight, but the matchup with former WBO lightweight champion Denys Berinchyk may present many of the same problems that led to the first loss of his professional career.
Queensberry announced Tuesday that Noakes (18-1, 16 KOs) will face Berinchyk (19-1, 9 KOs) on the August 29 undercard headlined by Moses Itauma and Filip Hrgovic in London.
On paper, the fight looks like a chance for Noakes to rebuild after his defeat to Abdullah Mason last November. Berinchyk is now 38 years old and hasn’t fought since Keyshawn Davis stopped him to win the WBO lightweight title in February 2025. Still, Berinchyk’s style makes him a dangerous opponent.
Mason showed there is a blueprint for beating Noakes. After spending the early rounds exchanging punches, Mason changed tactics midway through the fight. He boxed behind his jab, used his footwork, and refused to remain stationary. The adjustment left Noakes chasing him around the ring, struggling to cut off the distance or land the power shots that had made him effective early. Instead, he walked into repeated jabs and steadily fell behind.
Berinchyk has built much of his career on movement, awkward angles and ring craft rather than raw power. While age and the knockout loss to Keyshawn raise legitimate questions about how much he has left, he doesn’t need to be at his peak to make life uncomfortable for Noakes if he can still dictate the pace with his feet.
The burden now falls on Noakes to show he has developed since the Mason defeat. If he has improved his ability to pressure mobile opponents, he should have the youth, size and punching power to win. If not, Berinchyk has the experience and style to force Noakes into the same frustrating type of fight that exposed weaknesses in his game less than a year ago.
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Last Updated on 2026/07/14 at 10:39 PM
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